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How-To Geek

Have you ever noticed that the File Types option was completely removed from Vista, and there’s no built-in way to change the editor for many file types? Sure, you can change the default application used to open the file, but you can’t change what happens when you right-click / edit.

You can either directly hack the registry, or there’s a freeware utility that adds the functionality back… we’ll show you how to do both methods.

Using the Registry Hack Method

Open up regedit.exe through the start menu search or run box, and then browse down to the following key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell\edit\command

Double-click on the (Default) key to open it up, and then replace the path for notepad with the full path for your preferred editor, making sure to leave a space and then the %1 at the end (which inserts the current file name into the path)

Using the Easy Method

Using the freeware and open-source Types utility, you can easily change file types… just find the “bat” extension in the list, or filter by the “batfile” class, then open up the properties. You can easily replace the editor by just using the yellow icon next to the drop-down and choosing your preferred editor.

Of course, you can use this application to change the default editor for any file type, not just batch files.

Didn’t work with image files, the .jpg doesn’t have an Edit in the list so it will always open in MSPAINT.. I also checked the registry with no luck, can someone help explain how to change the default editor when you right click on a .jpg file for example?

Didn’t work for me. UI acted buggy & disabled fields when I tried to make changes. Was able to add a new action, but then couldn’t edit it. Can’t delete it manually from my registry either. F- Would not use again.

I have found that the open source program: Notepad++ is way better than Notepad, for reasons of formatting, word wrap, open and closed brackets for Java scripts, XML files and HTML files, a lot easier to read the goings on in the coding in Notepad++.(But then again i have a diploma in java programming). What may seem simple and straight forward to me, may not make sense to others.

GEEK TRIVIA

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite the perception that America is a very mobile society where people leave the nest and live their adulthood far from home, surveys reveal otherwise: approximately 40 percent of Americans never move from the place in which they are born.